Performance over beauty for Williams

The most talked about car of the winter launches was the Williams FW26, with
its extended twin keel nose mounts that earned it the sobriquet of "the
walrus". While many think it's an ugly looking design, team boss Frank
Williams and technical ...

The most talked about car of the winter launches was the Williams FW26, with
its extended twin keel nose mounts that earned it the sobriquet of "the
walrus". While many think it's an ugly looking design, team boss Frank
Williams and technical director Patrick Head were more interested in
performance than aesthetics.

Nose of the new WilliamsF1 BMW FW26.

Photo by Sutton Motorsport Images.

"I knew there had been quite a significant step forward in the wind tunnel,
which is why we did it," said Williams, according to the team website. "I
wasn't that negative about it, though there was clearly a lot a fuss. It's
not that pretty, but it's not ugly either, it's just the front of the car.
It's all about being adventurous and creative -- having a go and taking a
risk."

Head concedes that the design isn't going to win any prizes for its looks:
"It's not an item of beauty but it came out on top in the wind tunnel tests
and that dictates what you do," he commented. "People have focused on it
because it's the nose and therefore it tends to take on a greater
significance."

The focus may have been on the nose when the car was unveiled but the FW26
has other innovations that are not so obvious. "As an example, the sidepods
on the FW26 are further back, instead of sloping inwards and towards the
chassis," Head explained. "That required a tremendous amount of work on the
monocoque for the side impact test."

The car put in some impressive performances in winter testing and although
its worth will only be proved in competition, Head is confident it will
improve as the year goes on. "I think the FW26 is a good car and it'll be a
good foundation for developments through the year," he concluded.